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@gingerw

@auntieoakley Hi, my friend! Jotting comments and notes down is important. In these days when you cannot have a second person along to also hear what is said, I can ask questions and write things down.

I also have "my bag". There are several polystyrene folders that can be tossed in: Older office visits/note up to 2018, miscellaneous forms, biopsies/scans/reports/CDs to 1/16/19, cancer center and nephrology, biopsies/scans/reports from 7/2019 forward, lab results 7/2017 forward. Inside each folder is a chronological listing of what is there, to be able to grab it easily if needed. I recently [with help from my techno-husband] created an Excel spreadsheet, each year a new page, of blood test results, for quick reference. Okay, perhaps overkill, but it has been good to have these along when queried.
Ginger

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Replies to "@auntieoakley Hi, my friend! Jotting comments and notes down is important. In these days when you..."

...good ideas. I wish I knew Excel, just use Word. What happened was I left my dr of 20 yrs and had new younger dr. for 2.5 yrs and he left town so have no doctor. I now use a clinic where i see a nurse and then a doctor on computer screen. Thing is, I now have files all over the place, from previous two gp's, and the clinic, and specialists and at age 77 with lots of physical issues and mental health visits to therapists, plus dental, chiros etc. over the years I find it a bit overwhelming... have lots of copies and notes but its "finding" the ones I need! Also I go to local hospital emerge clinic. So if I need, for instance, a result of a urine test result, could be in any file.. as the hospital does their own tests; clinic has a lab right next door; there is another lab I use as no appointment needed; and previous tests could be on family dr. file or ???
I sort have put myself in a corner. I was mentioning this to someone who said oh the hospital can get copies of any of your tests you have done elsewhere but they CANNOT. If the clinic is closed for weekend, or doctor on vacation, type thing, who is going to find the info on my file... it has not been shared with hospital you see. I am all for centralizing ALL my health records...I think its to my benefit, having seen various doctors and specialists. So I am trying to be the central record keeper but its too much paperwork. Ugh